The Little Things
by BlueZeny
Summary: Sometimes you just need to relax.  Or... if that's not an option, you can always annoy your neighbour... or send them running to the bathroom.  Just some light fluffy friendship stuff.


A/N: My first TBBT fanfiction (and fanfiction in general). From what I've read here... I don't even think it holds a candle... but I tried my hardest to kept them in character. Hopefully I got some things right. : )

Word count: 1,390 right on the nose. It's not very long, just a short little thing. It may or may not develop into a chapter story.

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><p>It was an acceptable anything-can-happen-Thursday in Sheldon's opinion. Even if the thought of anything can happen lingered in the back of his mind, he was relatively not unhappy.<p>

Sheldon sat on one of the bar stools, facing the whiteboard, so many equations and answers to said equations, which lead to even more complicated ones, (he was flying, like those killing sprees in Halo, only this time pounding down equation after equation, getting him closer and closer to the bigger answer) raced through his head not a moment before. But now, he sat there, puzzled, eyebrows knotted, trying to figure out why the sudden metaphorical brick wall appeared.

His mind was blank. (Okay not really. Just blank of this particular little thing of science he was doing.)

Which is why he was not unhappy.

But he wasn't happy either. (He wanted to get back to his 'killing' spree.)

And the last thing he wanted to deal with was another person. But he knew, Thursdays may be anything-can-happen, but after a couple months, a little bit of routine occurred within the possibility of anything happening. And that bit of routine was stomping and muttering (well more like grumbling loudly and angrily) up the staircase.

Penny.

Sheldon knew, by the way he heard Penny stomping up those last few steps, she was nowhere close to being even not unhappy. (He had no idea.)

After hearing two muffled, yet sort of loud thumps, Sheldon sighed, getting up slowly off the stool. Placing the whiteboard marker back through the little loop of string hanging from the board and replacing the stool neatly back in it's original spot. Turning, he headed for the door, but didn't open it. Instead, he looked through the eyehole, and found the hallway void of any presence of Penny. He only caught a pair of shoes, strewn in the hall. Obviously the reason to the two thumps. Penny must have kicked them off in her haste. (Anger? Frustration? Tiredness?)

Sheldon didn't like the shoes being there. No he didn't. It made the hallway look untidy (germs!) and like Penny's apartment. Even if it was only two pairs of shoes, he was certain that over time, Penny would just take over the hallway if left to her own devices of throwing her shoes off before she even got through her door.

This was definitely something that can happen on an anything-can-happen Thursday. And to add to the anything-can-happen, Sheldon decided to leave the shoes in the hall without teaching Penny about not leaving personal items unattended in public domain. (Bazinga.)

Sheldon left the apartment, rubber gloves as a second skin, and goggles on over his eyes. He wouldn't risk contacting any sort of germs or bacteria which could be growing on Penny's shoes (or flats, even though that was a silly thing to call them, considering they weren't even flat). Picking them up gingerly by the heels, he placed them both in one hand, before walking towards Penny's door.

_Knock, knock, knock._ "Penny."

_Knock, knock, knock._ "Penny."

_Knock-_

The door opened before he could finish his nine knocks and three 'Pennies'. (It was after all anything-can-happen Thursday.)

"What do you want, Sheldon?"

Penny's tone indicated that she was in no mood for Sheldon or his lectures, or his idiosyncrasies, or whatever he had planned to the reason why he came over here, holding her flats as far away from his body like they were diseased, sporting rubber gloves and horrible goggles.

He should have caught that… if not at least her appearance should have set of red lights in his head. (Or whatever alarm Sheldon had for grouchy neighbours that could go Junior Rodeo like a time bomb.)

Penny was standing in baggy sweats, a long t-shirt hanging from her shoulders, hair up in a messy bun. She was slouched, face already clear of make-up, eyes had growing bags underneath them. Her lips were dry, set in a stiff frown, and she had a spoon which she was swinging carelessly back and forth.

"Your shoes." Sheldon held out the flats for her to take, raising an eyebrow, "You really shouldn't just throw them around and leave them out in public like that. Not only was it a disturbance-"

"Oh my god, Sheldon, I don't care!" Penny reached out and snatched the shoes from him with the same hand that was holding the spoon, "I really could care less right now about whether or not my shoes caused a disturbance to you. In fact, I'm glad they did!"

With that, the door was slammed shut, causing Sheldon to jump back just in time to avoid having it collide with his body. (Who knew he took a couple steps forward to hand her, her flats.)

"Well that was rude" Sheldon muttered, turning back around to head back to his own apartment.

Penny's door opened again. "That was rude!" (She was back for more… but more what?)

Sheldon froze, not liking that she was yelling. Or more so, yelling at him. He despised loud voices. Loud voices always had to do with fighting, and fighting was a no-no. Turning to face her, he pulled off the gloves, and goggles. "Well… for one, you didn't thank me for bringing you your shoes, and second… you slammed your door in my face. Which by the way, if I didn't take a step back, would have made a painful impact."

Penny narrowed her eyes, spoon still in hand, only this time, instead of careless swings, it was being tapped against her leg. "Sheldon, don't even comment about anything rude until you've worked at a special placed called 'The Cheesecake Factory' and have dealt with the customers!" She took a step closer to him ever word after 'worked.'

Sheldon backed away at her advances, until he found himself back in his own apartment. Not exactly sure how to respond to Penny, who was becoming more and more threatening each second. (Also she was waving that spoon around with her words, no doubt a spoon that has been in her mouth.)

"Do you maybe have the wrong tub of ice cream?" Sheldon asked, stepping back a little more from Penny.

She just walked right in, matching his stepping back, not letting him get out of this one. (What's his deal anyways, bringing her the flats like she just forgot them out there!)

"Look Sheldon, I'm tired and fed up with work. I've made absolutely no progress with acting, and the Factory is just cutting back shifts!" (along with pay but what else is new?). Penny had backed Sheldon somehow against the little space of wall between the hallway towards the bathroom and bedrooms, and the kitchen, "and I'm constantly trying to make ends with money but it's almost impossible!"

Sheldon was using the gloves and goggles as some form of wimpy protection. He was worried, not knowing whether to cover his nose, his neck or his privates. (Maybe he should help her budget again.)

"Have you tried not spending so much money on shoes, I noticed those flats today were new ones." (Aw, he noticed her new shoes.) Sheldon managed to squeeze out the last bit, slowing down considerably towards the last couple words. Gulping he tried to press himself further into the wall.

Penny just shook her head, exhausted and not up to dealing with Sheldon and his… Sheldon-ness. Instead, she quickly breathed on the roundest part of her spoon, and stuck it to the end of Sheldon's nose.

Sheldon's eyebrows shot up so far, and his eyes widened to the extent where Penny thought they'd just pop right out of his head. (The nerve of that woman. Does she not know how filthy that spoon is!)

Although, the sight was hilarious for Penny. Sheldon all scrunched up against the wall, eyebrows looking like they'd escape right into his hairline, eyes so wide, and so… cross eyed to glare at the spoon stuck to his nose. She burst into laughter.

Sheldon, using the gloves as a shield for his hand, reached up slowly and unhooked the spoon from his nose, sprinting towards the bathroom, leaving Penny a laughing mess against the little counter island.

It was after all, anything-can-happen Thursday.

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><p>AN: How'd I do?

: )


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